The present invention relates generally to a drone-sensor system capable of wirelessly detecting the presence of hazardous agents without requiring people (e.g. emergency responders) from being endangered by those hazardous agents. The present invention can detect, monitor, and analyze passive and active threats and hazards at incident scenes in real time to rapidly identify hazardous agents and contaminants. Using a drone-sensor system can protect against multiple hazards by preventing unnecessary exposure to such hazards while also remotely scanning for signs of life and decomposition to identify and locate casualties and fatalities to assist in evacuation near an accident or contamination scene.
According to an illustrative embodiment of the present disclosure, a drone-sensor system can be attached to an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). A system controller in the drone-sensor system can transmit preprogrammed instructions to flight control systems to direct the drone-sensor system towards a condition or object of interest. A remote controller can allow an operator to manually control the drone-sensor system or send new instructions to the drone-sensor system. A plurality of sensors can allow the drone-sensor system to identify potential threats or conditions of interest so that the drone-sensor system can approach the threat or condition and use an onboard bio-sensor to detect the presence of a biological agent.
According to a further illustrative embodiment of the present disclosure, a fluorescence-detector for sensing laser-excited-molecular-fluorescence and an absorption-detector for sensing laser-intensity can be used as simultaneous methods of detecting the presence of biomolecules in an air sample.
Additional features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of the illustrative embodiment exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the invention as presently perceived.